You may have noticed some thick, scaly lines appearing on some of your home’s appliances. These deposits can also be found inside your home’s water pipes and as a result, you can hear a gushing sound when opening your water taps. These are symptoms of a supply of hard water to your home.
Hard water doesn’t mean something strong or powerful. Water containing excessive minerals such as calcium, magnesium and manganese is classified as ‘hard’ water.
If your home is supplied with hard water, you’ll need a system to soften it. A water softening system essentially removes those excessive minerals, leaving soft water behind. A water softening system is composed of many components that harmoniously work together to remove excessive minerals, while at the same time adding some salts to restore the balance of ions in the water to be used at home.
Here at Shelton’s Water, we strive to provide our customers with top-quality water treatment solutions. Read on to learn more about how a water softener can make a difference in your home.
How Does A Water Softener Work?
The principle operation of a water softener is known as ion exchange. Simply put, the softening of water involves the replacement of extra magnesium and calcium ions with sodium ions, resulting in the softening of water. To have an understanding of the water softening arrangement, let’s first get familiar with its different components.
Mineral Tank: Most of the action takes place in this tank. When entering this tank, magnesium and calcium ions in water, carrying a positive charge, get attracted by beads with a negative charge.
Brine Solution: The mineral tank on the inside has another layer, known as the brine tank, which holds a brine solution with a concentration of potassium or sodium ions. In exchange for calcium and magnesium ions, the softener provides these ions to water to maintain an ionic balance.
Control Valve: To regulate the flow and pressure of water entering or leaving the tank, a control valve is included in the system. After the completion of the process of ion exchange, excessive minerals are kept behind, and soft water gets discharged through the pipes.
The Process Of Water Softener Regeneration
Water softeners can be considered filters or devices that are incorporated into the water pipes of a plumbing system. Since the replacement of ions inside the tank requires the presence of salts and minerals, we need to regularly regenerate the water softener to maintain the concentration of the brine solution.
The tanks also need to be cleaned without interrupting the delivery of soft water. Generally, the process of regeneration is automatic after you have set up the time limit. Most often, the maintenance of water softeners occurs at night because it is convenient to temporarily stop delivering soft water. At the end of each service, the system resets for proper functioning once again.
Here at Shelton’s Water, we’re happy to help repair, maintain or install your Arlington water softener. Our technicians can walk you through the regeneration process so you’ll always have access to soft water.
Get Started Today With Water Softener Services
Now that you have a better understanding of how a water softener works, it may be time to consider investing in a system for your home. Reach out to our team to discuss your options and let our technicians help you find the right model for your space. With help from Shelton’s Water, you’ll have soft water in your home in no time. Contact us today!
